Faith and Anger
by JoJo1
Summary: The new resident at the mansion comforts the weather-godess.


**Setting**: After X-men 2   
**Disclaimer**: Characters are borrowed but will be returned to their rightful owners shortly with only a minimum of damage caused.   
**Archive**: Just ask first, okay?   
**Feedback**: It would be delightful!   
**Pairing**: Kurt/Ororo   
**Author's notes**: Okay, okay. I had to write something with this amazing new pairing. A short little vignette only but something bigger might come eventually. Have to start somewhere...   
**Warning**: Contains spoilers for the movie 

* * *

Kurt Wagner felt lost, like he didn't belong in the beautiful mansion. He had always felt like an outsider and still did, despite that everyone around him was in one way or the other outsiders too. Some because their powers made them outcasts like Rogue, some because they had to use special gadgets to control their powers like Scott and some because of how they looked - like himself and Artie. Being surrounded by outcasts didn't make the pain of being one go away. In some ways it made it feel worse - like they had to hide away somewhere out of sight. 

Then...there was the one person that could make it all worthwhile. The beautiful Ororo Munroe. He had to admit to himself that the feelings he has for her is not of the friendship kind. He had thought he wouldn't be able to fall for anyone so soon after Amanda betrayed him (no, he tells himself, so soon after Stryker fooled him into thinking Amanda loved him). He's not entirely sure he's falling for Ororo either - just that it's more than friendship-feelings. He woves to himself to find out what exactly it is that he is feeling and if the feelings are returned. He doesn't quite know how yet but God will eventually find a way to show him. 

That would come later though. First, he needs to comfort her as a friend. She's clearly suffering now and it doesn't take a genious to figure out why. They managed to save the world from Stryker's madness and Magneto's calculating genious but at a very high cost. 

It cost the life of Jean Grey. He never had the chance to get to know her but from what others have told him he knows that she and Ororo were close friends, and Ororo now feels that her pain is being ignored by everyone. Mr Summers and Logans grieving is more noticable so that is why. He will make sure that he at least will comfort his friend. 

He can understand why the others are more concerned about Scott's feelings now but it doesn't mean he likes it. Everyone's feelings are just as important as the woman's poor fiancee' - the guy's acting like a walking dead and no wonder. The love of his life is no more. Logan's a different matter. Kurt just cannot understand why the man is acting that grief- struck. Sure, it's always a tragedy when someone dies but what little he has learned about the people here they never were that close. The man comes and goes and has seen precious little more of the X-men than Kurt has. Still, God works in mysterious ways. Who knows what goes on in that head and heart of his? It does seem out of place though. 

While Kurt's been pondering all of this he has silently teleported his way around the grounds to find Ororo. It's a large mansion so despite his quick way of moving it takes some time. He finally spots her, sitting on a bench in the midst of a lot of roses, looking as lost as he is. His final landing is a bit away from her and he slowly walks towards her - a bit unsure of how to approach her and he doesn't want to spook her by just suddenly appearing either. 

He says "Ororo?" softly before placing one of his hands on her shoulder.   
"Kurt? What do you want?"   
"You looked like you needed a friend, someone to talk to."   
"Well, even if I do what makes you think you're the one I want to speak to?"   
"Nothing. I know it's not me you want to talk to, or anyone here. You want to talk to Jean." 

Ororo looks a bit shocked at first but forces herself to smile at him. The guy's so sweet and much more observant than she would have thought at first. 

"You're both right and wrong Kurt. I don't want to speak to her. I want to yell at her! And hit her!" she says and her eyes start to go white.   
"Why?" Kurt asks, completely clueless "I thought she was your friend?"   
"She was. The best friend I ever had. I'm so mad at her for taking that away from me!" She laughs bitterly before continueing "How could she be so selfish?"   
"Selfish? She saved the lives of all of us. How is that selfish?"   
"Because she didn't cared of how her actions would do to us! Take a look around you. Does this seem like a happy place now?"   
"No, but how can you say she didn't care? If she hadn't cared she wouldn't have done it to save us." 

Storm just stays quiet for a while. She knows on some levels that Kurt is right but it doesn't make the pain go away. 

"But Kurt?"   
"Ja?"   
"There must have been some other way to do that."   
"Maybe. If we had had time to think of something, or we were too panic-struck. She wasn't and did what had to be done. Take comfort in that - that she saw it more important to save others than herself."   
"It's a cold comfort at best. And I still want to hit something."   
"Then do so. Let your anger out if that makes you feel better. I wouldn't do it but I'm not you."   
"I know. You only need your faith."   
"Not really. It gives comfort but it too can be a cold comfort at times. The emptiness when a loved one dies doesn't go away just because I know I will meet them again in the afterlife." He chuckles, "If I haven't committed too many sins to be allowed in Heaven that is." 

Ororo smacks him on the arm before saying "Don't say things like that. If someone as sweet and caring like you don't go to Heaven, no one will. Trust me on that one."   
"So you do have some faith after all."   
"Faith in you. You're a great guy and you made me feel a bit better about it all."   
"Gut, sehr gut. I'd hate to see a lovely woman so miserable." 

She blushes at that before retorting with "You casanova!"   
"Guilty as charged." and he takes a bow. 

They continue to sit there and talk for a long while, the subjects becoming less and less serious. When they walk away for the night they've reached a silent but mutual understanding - the world can be a lonely and scary place but with someone by their side it doesn't have to be. 


End file.
